The first train has entered service in East Midlands Railway’s £23 million programme to refurbish and upgrade its Class 170 fleet that operates regional services across the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.

Appropriately, the first completed unit was unveiled at Derby, soon to be the home of Great British Railways.

In addition to upgrading its Class 170 fleet, East Midlands Railway is refurbishing its Class 158 and Class 360 fleets in an overall £60 million programme.

The upgrade is designed to provide a better travel experience for passengers, with brand-new seats and tables, modern power and charging facilities with 230V, Type-C and dual USB sockets, refurbished toilets, upgraded flooring, an upgraded passenger information system, and a dedicated bike storage area.

The interiors have been redesigned to complement the operator’s new Aurora trains due to enter service later this year.

East Midlands Railway has 44 trains in its Class 170 fleet. The next refurbished unit is expected to be released into service next month, with new units following each month when they will operate services on the company’s routes from Matlock to Derby and Nottingham; Nottingham to Worksop via Mansfield; Newark Castle to Crewe via Nottingham, Derby and Stoke-on-Trent; Peterborough to Doncaster via Lincoln; Nottingham to Skegness via Grantham; Cleethorpes to Leicester via Lincoln and Nottingham; Cleethorpes to Barton-on-Humber, and Liverpool to Norwich.

Much of the work for the refurbishment was entrusted to suppliers in the East Midlands, with the interiors designed by Derby-based DG Design, and many other suppliers were based in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Sutton-in-Ashfield, and Crewe.

The Class 170s were previously operated by West Midlands Railway and are owned by the rolling stock financier and asset management company Porterbrook.

“This refurbishment is more than just a lick of paint it’s a complete transformation that puts our customers first. We’ve focused on creating an environment that is comfortable and functional and it s just the beginning. Over the next year, customers will start to see real, tangible improvements across our network.”

Will Rogers, Managing Director of East Midlands Railway